A WELSH peer was among those who received some of the highest honours bestowed by the Queen yesterday.

A WELSH peer was among those who received some of the highest honours bestowed by the Queen yesterday.

Lord Morris of Aberavon, the former Welsh Secretary and Attorney General, joined members of the Royal Family to become a Knight of the Garter.

More than 8,000 members of the public packed the Middle and Lower Wards inside Windsor Castle walls to watch the pomp and splendour of the Garter procession, which took place in glorious sunshine.

Princess Alexandra, who was made a Lady of the Garter, walked beside the Duke of Kent as she and the other Knights and Lady Companions of the Garter, all clad in blue velvet robes, began the procession at the crest of Castle Hill.

The Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal were towards the rear of the procession, with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh just behind.

The Duke of Westminster, Lord Butler of Brockwell, who along with Lord Morris of Aberavon, were also appointed Knights of the Garter, led the procession, which also included the Duke of Wellington and the Duke of Gloucester.

Baroness Thatcher, a Lady Companion of the Garter, who had been expected to walk with the procession, arrived early by car and entered St George's Chapel by a side entrance.

Led by a marching band from the Household Cavalry, the procession made its way down Castle Hill through the gateway of Horseshoe Cloister and to the west door of St George's Chapel for the installation service.

Each of the Garter Knights and Ladies took their seats in specially hand-carved stalls inside the chapel for the service, which is held to mark the installation of new members to the Most Noble Order.

Former Prime Ministers Lord Callaghan, who represented Cardiff South and Penarth during the 1970s, and Sir Edward Heath, who are also Knights of the Garter, did not walk with the procession but did attend the installation service inside St George's Chapel.

All four new members of the Order had earlier been invested at a special ceremony inside the Garter Throne room of Windsor Castle attended by the Garter Knights and Ladies and members of the Royal Family.

Lord Morris, 71, has been Chancellor of Glamorgan University since 2001.

The new appointments follow the deaths of the Queen Mother, the Duke of Norfolk, Lord Hailsham and Lord Longford, who were all members of the Garter.